Oxford diner protest turns into PTSD Awareness Event

There are so many times when a community comes together in support of a veteran that becomes priceless examples of love and appreciation for them. This is one of them. When the story of an Air Force veteran with PTSD, James Glaser was treated like crap by the owner of a diner the story went viral on the net. People may not take much interest on a daily basis to what is going on but mess with a veteran and they show up.

In this case between August 25 and yesterday the owner of the diner has been educated on PTSD enough to apologize and a protest against the diner turned into a PTSD Awareness Event with 300 showing up.

How cool is this story!

Oxford diner debate ends in harmony
RALLY DRAWS 300; FOCUS ON PTSD
Telegram and Gazette
Shun Sutner
August 31, 2013

The rally gets under way at Greenbrier Recreation Area. (T and G Staff/TOM RETTIG)

OXFORD — This story had an improbably happy ending.

Two former antagonists —the Air Force veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and the Oxford diner owner who booted him and his service dog out of his establishment — apologized to one another and hugged before a crowd of some 300 at a rally this morning.

The gathering at the Greenbrier Recreation Area on Route 12 had originally been billed as a protest boycott of Russell Ireland's "Big I" restaurant after his run-in with veteran James Glaser went viral on the Internet.

But it morphed earlier this week into a PTSD awareness event, and, as it turned out, a moment of unexpected reconciliation.

"I accept your apology and I apologize for hurting your establishment," Mr. Glaser, the veteran, said, turning toward Mr. Ireland as the diner proprietor petted the scruffy head of Mr. Glaser's trained Jack Russell terrier, "Jack."

For his part, Mr. Ireland, who initially had been skeptical of Jack's service dog status, asked the veterans for, and for the most part received, forgiveness.
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Another PTSD veteran kicked out for having a service dog